John Vande Woude

As a representative of a multinational enterprise information technology company, at their premiere client in financial services, performing three critical roles on a global application transformation and re-platforming initiative.

Served as a senior consultant and U.S. program manager on a multi-year IT infrastructure optimization effort for a top-tier global bank. Project highlights include the virtualization of hundreds of business-critical applications, the migration of stand-alone Oracle and SQL Server database instances to a utility environment, and the mass remediation of over 2,000 Windows 2003 servers. The net result of this project was a significant return of data center electricity and white space that increased the lifespan of the firm's aging data centers in the U.S. It ultimately served as a bridge to a 10-year, multi-billion-dollar data center collocation and technology outsourcing deal.  Sourced and managed a team of twenty four consultants.

Team building and actively recruiting technology professionals for clients in financial services.

V4 Technology: http://www.v4technology.com

Who We Are: http://www.v4technology.com/who-we-are

(Avadhi Finance & Technology acquired AFA in 2009)

Advanced Financial Applications, Inc. (AFA) is a financial services technology company that provides a broker-neutral/cost-effective Execution Management System (EMS)/Order Management System (OMS) to hedge funds, investment management firms and family offices. The solution, IMPACT Pro™, is delivered via the Internet using an ASP delivery model. It is principally targeted at middle-market firms looking for an easy to deploy, cost-effective system that seamlessly integrates front, middle and back-office functions. The system was initially focused on the US equity markets.

• Served as a senior spokesman for the firm in meetings with prospective clients and strategic partners.

• Accountable to the CEO, President, CFO, Board of Directors and IT staff. Member of the Executive Management Team responsible for business strategy, product strategy, budgeting, planning, revenue forecasting and top-line business growth.

• Revisited the company’s prior decision to outsource development and maintenance of IMPACT Pro™ to an external service provider (ESP) in India. Subsequently concluded that the company’s exit strategy would be better served if the application development and technical support functions were transitioned to an in-house team. Successfully completed this transition in 3 months.

• Successfully outsourced quality assurance testing.

• Developed and obtained consensus on a forward-looking technology strategy.

• Strengthened IMPACT Pro’s technical underpinnings through a series of “technical releases”. Said releases addressed “time-to-market vs. quality” design decisions made by the ESP, improved order throughput and increased scalability.

• Released 91 new versions of IMPACT Pro™ to the marketplace in 3 ½ years. Releases incorporated new business functionality (e.g., broker algorithms, charting, news, position management, order staging) that was deemed important by executive management, sales, and existing/prospective customers.

• Participated in periodic reviews of the competitive landscape.

• Introduced support for options trading in January, 2007.

• Introduced support for non-US equity trading in May, 2008 (in a strategic partnership with HSBC).

• Integrated IMPACT Pro™ with a soft-dollar accounting system and several other systems (e.g., Indii.com) viewed as complimentary offerings.

• Successfully bifurcated EMS and OMS functionality in IMPACT Pro™ as part of a major initiative with Goldman Sachs thus enabling us to become a Signature provider in the Goldman Sachs Electronic Trading (GSET) Program.

• Integrated with other industry-leading OMS platforms (e.g., EzeCastle, Linedata) thus allowing clients to create orders in other platforms and send electronically to IMPACT Pro™.

• Ported IMPACT Pro™ to the BlackBerry as part of a strategic project with Pyxis Mobile.

• Terminated a cost-prohibitive equipment lease and collocation agreement; negotiated cost-effective agreement with a vendor in New York; purchased and installed new hardware, and migrated the firm’s production systems to a new data center.

• Supported the onboarding of new clients. Certified and implemented 65 new broker connections (trading destinations). Onboarded 24 new custodians/prime brokers (implemented firm-specific EOD files).

• Renegotiated vendor contracts, automated the client onboarding process and implemented a feedback mechanism for sales.

• Moved office and staff to new location at 111 Broadway in downtown Manhattan.

• Represented the firm in due diligence exercises conducted by prospective buyers. Efforts led to the sale of the firm in October, 2009. Provided transition assistance through the end of 2009.

On an as-needed basis in 2005 I served as an adviser and interim Chief Information Officer of this start-up developing a unique web-based service for trading partners in the global supply chain. I was influential in the development of their business model, technology strategy, system design, project plans and financial forecasts.  I was offered an opportunity to join this company as their permanent Chief Information Officer pending a capital raise.

(MarketAxess acquired Trading Edge, Inc in 2001)

MarketAxess operates one of the world’s most successful fixed income electronic trading platforms. The platform is actively used by more than 600 institutional investor clients including 80 of the top 100 investment advisers, mutual funds, insurance companies, pension funds and hedge funds that transact in fixed income securities.

I joined MarketAxess in March 2001 following their acquisition of Trading Edge where I served as Chief Information Officer. Recognized as a key employee during due diligence, I accepted an invitation to join the company as their Director of Application Development and was subsequently promoted to Head of Technology.

• Negotiated a 12 month retention package for all key Trading Edge IT employees. Assisted in the relocation of MarketAxess staff to Trading Edge’s corporate headquarters in downtown Manhattan. Executed on an aggressive plan to consolidate staff, data centers, systems, hardware and office equipment. Closed Trading Edge satellite offices in California, Washington DC and North Carolina.

• As Head of Technology reduced monthly $5 million burn-rate by 35% and enforced a “do more with less” attitude across the organization. Micromanaged IT spend on a daily basis.

• Provided executive leadership as head of global IT organization. Responsible for managing 102 employees in New York and London. Accountable for a $25-40 million annual budget. Influenced business strategy as key member of the firm’s Business Leadership Team. Chaired North American Operating Committee tasked with defining an execution plan for meeting the firm’s business objectives.

• Worked closely with the Chief Architect to develop a global technology strategy for MarketAxess. Post acquisition the MarketAxess technology portfolio consisted of a java-based anonymous cross-matching system developed by Trading Edge and several proprietary inquiry-based trading systems operated by MarketAxess that were developed by a third party, MoneyLine, Inc. Given that MarketAxess obtained an in-house technology capability after acquiring Trading Edge and concerns about the future viability of MoneyLine, the goal of the strategy was to mitigate vendor risk and move all trading functionality to a new single strategic trading platform. The end-result would also reduce the cost associated with maintaining multiple trading systems and eliminate a revenue-sharing agreement with MoneyLine.

• Obtained consensus on the global technology strategy which ultimately recommended using the Trading Edge java-based trading platform as the foundation for new development. Said strategy proposed a phased development approach and also included numerous improvements to the platform’s underlying technical infrastructure.

• In late 2001 we delivered the first phase of this strategy; inquiry-based trading for emerging markets. In 2002 we delivered inquiry-based trading for the U.S. high-yield market. In May 2004 we launched a sophisticated new trading capability for the U.S. high-grade market.

• Supported significant business growth on the MoneyLine U.S. high-grade trading platform in parallel with new development initiative. Protected the business by resolving numerous issues that surfaced as trading volume increased.

• Responsible for negotiating contracts and service-level agreements with vendors.

• Successfully out-sourced quality assurance testing to India-based firm. Expanded relationship with vendor to include application development. Negotiated fixed-price contract for the development of BondTicker, a web-based market data and analytical tool. Further expanded the relationship to include the development of several ancillary systems.

• Successfully added straight-through processing (STP) capabilities to trading platform. Developed comprehensive MIS reporting system to support internal and external reporting requirements.

• Primary contributor in all Human Resource initiatives including the development of a semi-annual and year-end performance feedback program.

• Continuously evolved internal infrastructure to support company growth.

• Helped position the firm for an initial public offering in November, 2004.

(MarketAxess acquired Trading Edge, Inc in 2001)

In July of 1999 I joined the founders of Trading Edge, a California based start-up, to assist them in establishing New York City as their primary place-of-business and to spearhead the effort to create a world-class technology organization tasked with enhancing and supporting their flagship product BondLink. BondLink, the world’s first online trading service for U.S. high-yield bonds, was launched in April 1999 just prior to my arrival.

During my tenure at Trading Edge, the BondLink platform was considerably enhanced to facilitate trading in other fixed income securities and within its first year of operation was widely recognized by industry observers as the progenitor of a new trading paradigm that would transform the way bonds were traded. Trading Edge was acquired for their technology in March 2001 by MarketAxess, a consortium backed by the world’s largest broker-dealers.

• Hired as Director of Application Development and was subsequently promoted to Chief Information Officer based on solid leadership and demonstrated success. Responsible for establishing and managing the firm’s technology infrastructure, preparing and obtaining consensus on a way-forward technology plan, day-to-day management of all technology initiatives and oversight of a multi-million dollar IT budget.

• Helped establish interim headquarters in New York City’s midtown area while search for permanent space in the city’s financial district progressed. Instrumental in the selection and build-out of a state-of-the-art 25,000 Sq. Ft. office located at 140 Broadway. Responsible for moving staff and equipment to new location.

• Proposed and obtained consensus on a comprehensive IT organizational structure. Recruited 35 technology professionals during first 9 months of employ. Grew staff to 65 in the ensuing 12 month period to support aggressive business expansion. Significantly reduced the cost of hiring during the company’s critical growth phase by hand-picking former colleagues for key positions, negotiating favorable contracts with recruiting agencies and through regular participation at IT job fairs. Human Resources estimated savings in excess of $600,000. Created rapid training/mentoring program for new hires. Maintained extremely low turnover rate (less than 5%) for entire 2 year period.

• Enhanced the BondLink platform to provide support for emerging market bonds and developed separate products to facilitate trading in municipal and convertible securities. Also, introduced major new functionality including an integrated financial news service and the ability to automatically insure municipal bonds through MBIA, a leading insurer of municipal securities.

• Attained sub $1 million monthly burn-rate during first year of official operation. Provided justification for 2 rounds of venture capital financing enabling Trading Edge to raise $26 million in late 1999 and an additional $52 million in April 2000.

• Supported the seamless acquisition of more than 200 new clients in 2 years.

• Managed and extended capability of physically diverse production and disaster-recovery data centers. Created on-site development/quality assurance data center. Supported the company’s satellite offices in California, Washington DC and North Carolina.Achieved and maintained 99% up-time for all production systems.

• Responsible for negotiating contracts and service-level agreements with vendors.

• Represented Trading Edge in 6 month acquisition/due-diligence exercise with MarketAxess. Provided detailed information on organizational structure, system functionality, system architecture, security, development methodology, and disaster-recovery and business continuity procedures.

In 1997 I joined NorthStar Technologies, Inc., a Manhattan-based financial services consulting firm. As a Partner and Senior Consultant I established a fixed-cost application development business, managed their IT consulting practice and worked on several major consulting projects.

Client: Deutsche Financial Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank)

Retained by the Chief Information Officer to conduct an analysis of their current systems capabilities and determine if these systems could support the organization’s plan to exploit new business opportunities in Europe and other locations across the globe. The analysis was framed with the understanding that the company was already in the execution stage of their European expansion initiative with a goal of being operational with a key client in Germany four months after my arrival. This analysis was considered crucial to the company’s future success abroad.

My analysis included a comprehensive investigation of 12 existing systems and their relationships. The analysis was completed to the full satisfaction of the Chief Information Officer. Subsequently, the results were reported in a full-day formal presentation to senior management including the Chief Executive Officer and members of their operating committee.

Client: BNY ESI & Co. (formerly ESI Securities Company)

This project encompassed management consulting and the development of a turnkey solution. All work was completed onsite over a period of 9 months.

This broker-dealer uses technology to differentiate themselves from their competitors providing their clients with financial applications that facilitate electronic trading. For a major client, this firm developed a new application that was rolled-out with major issues that jeopardized their relationship with this client and, more importantly, their reputation in the marketplace.

Retained by the Chief Information Officer to manage the project and the relationship with the client, provide a quick assessment of all issues, and recommend a course of action. I quickly assessed the problem and proposed a solution to the Chief Information Officer and Chief Executive Officer, which was approved. The solution included a major stabilization effort with milestones and a parallel rewrite of the application. I staffed and managed the stabilization effort and served as project manager of the rewrite effort. The project was competed to the full satisfaction of the client. Also assisted in staffing during this engagement recruiting 4 full-time technology professionals prior to project end.

(Bankers Trust was ultimately acquired by Deutsche Bank)

Ultimately managed a global team of 55 IT professionals responsible for the successful implementation of five critical business applications. Said applications were among the first to employ client-server/object-oriented technologies and assisted in proving a concept that was originally met with skepticism. In due course, these systems also served as a blue-print for other client-server initiatives.

• Promoted to Vice President in 1993 and was given responsibility for bringing new technology to Bankers Trust’s global collateral management business. Spent significant time in Europe developing a new system, that when implemented, provided trading units and back-office personnel with the information required to accurately assess the firm’s global financing requirements and efficiently fund a portfolio of government securities with an average daily net par value in excess of $15 billion.

• Managed the development and successful implementation of an object-oriented deal entry system for the GIC Derivatives business.

• One of the first application development groups to successfully utilize FSDX, the firm’s proprietary data subscription and publishing utility. Developed an application to broadcast trades and positions that originated in the firm’s money market trade processing system.

• Responsible for the day-to-day management of several essential systems utilized by the firm’s broker-dealer subsidiary including the stock record/customer ledger applications and several critical back-office systems that provided support for fixed income trading. Developed, implemented and maintained several tactical applications to sustain the clearance and settlement function.

• Assisted in the design and implementation of a multi-entity, multi-currency, cross-product clearance and settlement system.

• Specified and designed a back-office clearance/settlement system for commercial paper trading.

• Global responsibility for PORTIA, a commercial portfolio management system from Thomson Financial.

(First Boston was ultimately acquired by Credit Suisse)

During a nearly five year tenure at First Boston, I was a key participant in a firm-wide focused effort (NTPA - New Trade Processing Architecture) to architect, plan, develop and implement a complete array of advanced integrated systems to support securities underwriting, sales and trading.

• As a senior project manager was primarily responsible for the development and deployment of a trade processing system used to facilitate exception-based clearance and settlement, and the implementation of the firm’s critical order/trade processing and floor execution systems.

• Implemented a broker fee system utilized to track and process fees charged by executing brokers (two-dollar brokers and specialists).

• Successfully implemented a back-office application with purposeful interfaces to the Depository Trust Company’s Institutional Delivery System (DTC ID).

• Accountable for the development, implementation and management of critical interfaces to external clearance agencies and settlement organizations. Built and maintained a program trading interface to the firm’s floor entry system.

• Involved in the design and delivery of several reference databases that served as a foundation for major system initiatives.

• Continuously involved in the rigorous testing of an in-house developed CASE tool and proprietary middle-ware developed to expedite delivery of new applications.

• In support of the advanced technologies utilized at First Boston, was a member of several steering committees responsible for the development of comprehensive standards/procedures and the evolution of a reliable unit testing, quality assurance and production environment.

• Key member of a team to commercialize completed applications so they could be marketed and sold to other financial services firms. Involved in the conception of Seer Technologies, a spin-off created to market and sell completed applications .Created installation verification plans to validate installation of shrink-wrap software at client sites.

(Merrill Lynch was ultimately acquired by Bank of America)

Served as a project leader and/or programmer analyst on multiple projects including:

• Account Executive Compensation System
• Account Executive Profile System
• Sales Leadership System
• Customer Revenue Reporting System
• Key Client Tracking System
• Asset Gathering System

Employed part-time in the firm's data center and on the NYSE Floor from 1978-1982 while attending college.